The Netherlands prove – if ever it was needed – that a settled environment combined with the right planning, youth development and investment can pay dividends at the very top level of sport.

After years of development, the Netherlands won a bronze medal on their world championship debut back in 2022, and to prove it was no fluke it was followed up by another, in 2024, with coach Peter Portengen in charge of the team on both occasions.

Portengen will also be in charge for Croatia 2026 and brings with him no less than six players in his squad of 10 to Zagreb who have played in both those bronze medal-winning events: Lisanne Bakker – scorer of the first-ever Olympic Games beach handball points (at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games), Isabel Barnard, Anna Buter, Marit van Ede, Meike Kruijer and Rianne Mol.

Joining those regulars in his current team are 2024 squad members Josien van den Hoek and Tess Jansen, with Merel de Jager and Nienke Slippens the two new additions.

The Netherlands are captained by defender Rianne Mol, who has played 73 times for her country on the sand and was voted into the All-star Team at the 2022 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship in Greece as best defender.

At that championship four years ago, the Netherlands faced two of their Croatia 2026 opponents on their way to bronze. Winning their first four games 2-0 (Australia, Uruguay and Argentina in the preliminary group, Norway in the main round), before losing against Brazil (1-2) and Germany (0-2). A quarter-final win over Denmark (2-1), gave Portengen’s side two attempts at a medal, their first, a semi-final 0-2 defeat to Germany, but their second – in the bronze medal match – dispatching Greece 2-1 on their own sand.

Mol’s teammate Meike Kruijer made the All-star Team at the 2024 IHF Women’s Beach Handball World Championship as best right wing and went on to make the All-star Team at the 2025 EHF EURO as top-scorer (148 points), joined by teammate Bakker as best goalkeeper.

At the continental event in Alanya, Turkiye last July, the Netherlands finished fourth, losing to eventual winners Spain 2-0 (21:18, 22:20) in the semi-finals and current world champions Germany 2-1 (23:18, 18:20, SO 10:8) in the bronze medal match – a rematch of the 2023 EURO final. 

But their medal run started seven years ago with bronze at the 2019 EHF EURO and with the global covid pandemic following shortly after, we may never know what could have happened in that period. What did happen though, was when global sport was up and running again, the Dutch grabbed silver at the 2023 EHF EURO. In fact, the last four editions of the continental event have seen the Dutch finish in the top four three times (2019 3rd, 2021 6th, 2023 2nd, 2025 4th) highlighting their strength, effectiveness and longevity.

In Zagreb, the Dutch face their neighbours Germany as well as Uruguay and Asian champions Vietnam in their preliminary group.

“We are really looking forward to this world championship as at the top, internationally, it is very close with about seven countries that are evenly matched, which makes every championship particularly exciting,” said Portengen to ihf.info.

“That makes it difficult to express expectations regarding medals beforehand, but we have every confidence in our chances. This group has been playing together at a high level for years and knows what it takes on the biggest stage.”

To further compound the team cohesiveness, six of the current Dutch team all play their club handball together, with Lisanne Bakker, Anna Buter, Josien van den Hoek, Merel de Jager, Meike Kruijer and Nienke Slippens all turning out for JuRo Unirek/VZV. Additionally, goalkeeper Tess Jansen won the Dutch Cup (indoor) with Zwartwoud/Kwiek for the first time, under coach Peter Portengen this season.
    
New addition Slippens is at the forefront of the new generation, the centre back making her senior debut for Netherlands at Croatia 2026 after winning bronze at the 2025 IHF Women’s Youth Beach Handball World Championship last year in Tunisia – this followed her MVP award at the 2024 YAC16 EHF EURO.

Slippens will be eager to be part of yet another podium-placing Dutch side. Their last world bronze, gained at China two years ago saw them defeat USA (2-0) and Norway (2-1), but lose to Denmark (1-2) in their preliminary group.

The main round saw losses to Croatia 2026 opponents Germany once again (1-2) in the main round, however, victories against Brazil (2-0) and Greece (2-1) moved them into the knock-out stages where they defeated Portugal in the last eight (2-0), but lost to Argentina (1-2) in the semi-finals. The Dutch then bounced back in the bronze medal match to get revenge on Denmark with a 2-0 win.

Coach: Peter Portengen

Key Players: Rianne Mol, Meike Kruijer, Ana Buter, Isabel Barnard, Lisanne Bakker

Qualification information: 2025 EHF Women’s European Beach Handball Championship – 4th

History in Tournament: 2004-2018: DNQ, 2022: 3rd, 2024: 3rd

Group at Croatia 2026: Group A: Germany, Netherlands, Vietnam, Uruguay